1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a tape recorder, and more particularly to an improved fast forward and rewind-mechanism in a tape recorder.
2. Description of the Prior Art
For a compact design of a tape recorder such as cassette tape player or the like, it has been proposed to effect the fast forward (FF) and rewinding (REW) of tape as well as the ejection of tape cassette by operating a single lever. A typical one of many different mechanisms of the prior art constructed so as to realize the above-mentioned conception is illustrated by way of example in FIG. 1.
In the Figure, the operating lever is generally indicated at the numeral 1; in this arrangement, the tape is fast forwarded or rewound by turning the lever 1 vertically. Also, pressing to the left as viewed in FIG. 1 the lever 1 from its initial position will cause the tape cassette to be ejected. However, this exemplary mechanism is disadvantageous in that the space w required for vertically turning the lever is large.
FIG. 2 shows another prior-art mechanism that has been proposed to overcome the above-mentioned drawbacks. In this arrangement, an FF lever 2 and REW lever 3 are provided separately from each other. This mechanism is so designed that when these levers are pushed separately from each other, an abutment 2A or 3A is caused to abut an oscillating member 4 which will be oscillated about a pin 5 in the direction of arrows s, thus creating either the FF or REW operation; also in this arrangement, the ejection of cassette tape is made by the oscillating member 4 which is caused to oscillate by pressing the FF and REW levers 2 and 3 simultaneously on the right hand end.
In this system, however, a space of escape S is required for the oscillating member 4 to escape in a direction opposite to the direction in which any one of the levers 2 and 3 is separately pressed, so that the ratio of effective stroke l with the operating stroke W is small. Further, since the abutment of the lever 2 or 3 is made to oscillate while being abutting the oscillating member, the space w.sub.1 between the abutments 2A and 3A becomes wide; if it is intended to unreasonably reduce this space w, the operational load will disadvantageously be increased.
Also in a tape player such as cassette tape stereo player, when the FF or REW operation is intended while tape playing is being effected, it is necessary that the FF or REW mechanism including FF or REW idlers should be set only after the reproduction mechanism comprising a reproduction head or heads, pinch rollers and playing idlers is released from the tape under playing. Should the FF or REW mechanism be set before or at the same time as the reproduction mechanism is put out of operation, the tape reel rotating at a constant speed in the tape playing mode of operation will be abruptly applied with a force which causes the high-speed tape winding (FF or REW) with the result that not only a great load will be applied to the tape but also the drive system is likely to be damaged. To avoid this, the FF or REW mechanism must be set in operation only after the reproduction mechanism is completely put out of operation.
Further, a tape player is known in which during the FF or REW operation, a necessary signal, for example, an inter-music signal on a music tape is detected, then the FF or REW operation is canceled and the tape playing mode of operation is automatically restored.
As one example of such functions, an arrangement is well known that there is provided a core in a member which locks the FF and REW levers. By pressing the FF or REW lever, a switch provided as associated therewith is turned on to energize a holding plunger which will attract said core while a return spring provided so as to be forced in the direction of the attraction is actuated to attract the FF or REW lever which will be thus locked. When an inter-music signal is detected, said holding plunger is deenergized to release the core so that the returning force of the FF or REW lever which exceeds the force of said return spring will cause the lever to be returned to the initial position, whereby the tape player is automatically returned to the tape playing mode of operation.
However, the prior-art mechanism described above needs, in addition to the switch which energizes the holding plunger by means of pressing the FF or REW lever, a manual unlocking switch which is used to manually unlocking the lever during the operation of the holding plunger. For this reason, it is not possible to connect the inter-music signal detection circuit and holding plunger directly with each other, which makes it impossible to simplify the circuitry.